


Platitude

by bookwrm130



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Modern AU, Polyamory, Slow Build, eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-26 02:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12546316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwrm130/pseuds/bookwrm130
Summary: Laura Hollis is a bright eyed freshman, who's living away from her overprotective father for the first time in her life. College life is exciting and new and... different. College is where you experience many firsts. College is also where you learn that some things you thought were true and absolute, are sometimes not. Like how it's completely possible to fall for two completely different people at the same time. And that maybe she doesn't have to choose between the two of them. And that maybe people are more than what they show and when you get rid of all the pretences and just love, magical things can happen.





	Platitude

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea a few days before the movie was released. You know how they say if you can't find the story you want to read, then make your own? This is one of those. I wanted to read a 'love triangle' that doesn't end up with one person choosing another person. I wanted a 'love triangle' where everyone loves each other and no one needs to choose anyone. No jealousy, no possessiveness, just honesty and relationships. This is hopefully going to be a long one, so bear with me as I try to tease this out of my mind and into the physical space. Or digital space, as it is. If you want to talk to me and silently scream about these three ladies, you can find me [here](http://bookwrm130.tumblr,com).
> 
> I promise the notes won't be this long on the following chapters. Also chapters will not be uploaded frequently because real life needs to happen first.
> 
> Enjoy!

The time was 8 PM, the sky was dark, and she’s still out and about with her roommate and brand new friend Betty. She kept pulling out her phone every now and then to check the time, and also to make sure that she didn’t miss any calls or text. It’s her first night out since she moved to Silas and she still can’t quite believe she’s living by herself. Well, with a roommate in a college dorm, but still! No overbearing father within miles. No helicopter dad, no curfew, no calls and texts every 10 minutes if she missed her curfew.

Is this what adulthood feels like?

The two freshmen have just finished their dinner at a nearby vegetarian restaurant. After, they decided to walk back to their dorm. Laura was fascinated with Betty. When they first introduced themselves, they exchanged the usual information; names, where they’re from, and what they’re planning to study. Betty mentioned she wanted to major in bioengineering because of practicality but really she wanted to study, and maybe minor, in physics. And then within 5 minutes she also mentioned about the killer rave party she went to last night and how she was a little bit hangover. Laura lived quite a sheltered life, so this combination of studious human (based on the many, many books Betty pulled out of her suitcases) and a party animal was something she didn’t know can exist. She guessed this is what it means to go out into the world, finding people that don’t fit neatly into any boxes.

Their conversation quickly turned into Betty giving a lecture about the connection between grinding and quantum physics. Laura was trying to understand as much as she could when she heard the most beautiful voice she’s ever heard in her life. She tried to find the source of the voice and realized it was coming from a little hole-in-the-wall bar, tucked away in the corner of an alley. Blu Jaz was the name of the place, based on the flickering blue neon hanging above the door.

“Laura?”

Laura snapped to attention. She turned her head towards the voice that was calling her. Betty was a few meters ahead of her. She hadn’t realized she had stopped walking. Betty walked back towards Laura, trying to figure out what has caught the attention of her roommate. Betty turned and saw the entrance to the bar. 

“You wanna go in?”

Laura was tempted to say yes. She was absolutely mesmerized by the voice crooning out of the bar. But she had class tomorrow morning and she needs to get an early night, even though it’s only… 8.30 PM. But she absolutely cannot be late for her first class ever.

“No, it’s okay. Let’s just head back.”

Betty shrugged and continued their walk towards their dorm. On their walk back, Betty was ranting about mathematical patterns in EDM and what formula to follow if you want to make a popular EDM vs a good EDM. Laura already couldn’t quite understand what she was saying, but the thought of the voice distracted her even more. The voice and the hole-in-the-wall bar was constantly in the back of her mind. Why can’t she stop thinking about it?

Laura was up and early the next day, maybe even a little too early. She woke up at 5 AM, way before her alarm was set to go off. Class starts at 9, so she had four hours before she had to be in class. Way too excited about her first day to go back to sleep, she decided to throw her blanket off of her and go for a run. She saw Betty asleep across the room on her bed, her face in a book about some kind of physics that was way out of Laura’s comprehension. Laura chuckled and pulled the book out from under her head, sure that it can’t be comfortable to fall asleep on a book.

Laura went to her closet and pulled out her running outfit. Once she changed into those clothes, she grabbed her phone and earphones, her keys, and headed out the door. As she was locking up her door, a body slammed into her and knocked her phone out of her hand.

“Watch it, you asshole,” a low, gravelly voice slurred out.

“Excuse you, you bumped into me,” Laura said, indignant.

The body that bumped into her was a girl, probably a little bit taller than her, if she wasn’t slouching so much. Raven black mussed up hair fell down around her shoulders. Her eyes were bloodshot and black, with bags under her eyes. They were half shut and Laura was not 100% sure this girl was even fully conscious.

“Oh geez, do you need help?” Laura asked. This person may be rude as hell, but if someone needs help, then by god she’ll help them.

The girl scoffed, “No, I don’t need your help,  _ cupcake,” _ she drawled. As she said that, she stumbled against the wall, barely able to keep herself up.

Laura rolled her eyes, “yes you do.” She walked over and put one of the girl’s arm around her shoulder and hoisted her upright. “Tell me where you’re going.”

The girl pushed Laura off. “Fuck off, I don’t need you.” She followed that with a flip of the middle finger. The girl then stumbled down the hallway with one hand on the wall.

Laura stared at the retreating figure with her mouth open. Okay, fine, if she didn’t want her help, then she won’t help her. At least she was already inside the dorm building and wouldn’t hurt herself, right? She turned around and headed out for her morning run.

Laura ran for about an hour before she headed back to her dorm building. When she reached her room, Betty was still softly snoring. Laura just shook her head. They both had the same first class today. She’ll wake her up. Right after a nice, hot shower.

* * *

 

Betty was not super happy to be woken up early. Why does she have to wake up an hour before class when it only takes ten minutes to walk to class from their dorm?

“To get a proper, healthy breakfast, silly.” That was the answer Laura gave. Betty did not like that answer. She’s starting to rethink this friendship situation.

“So why are you taking Intro to Lit? I thought you’re going to do bioengineering?” Laura said once they reached class.

“Because, dear roommate of mine, you need a balanced life between science and art. And I’d rather sit through a lecture about the inner working of Oedipus’s thoughts than to draw bowls of fruits.” Betty answered.

The class started filling up with students. Five minutes before 9, a woman walked in. She was not very tall, but she exudes enough aura that makes you think she’s taller than she actually is. She’s wearing modest heels that made a clacking noise with each step. She was dressed in a simple white shirt and a pencil skirt. Her wavy, golden brown hair flowed down to her mid back. A pair of black rimmed glasses rested on her fair nose. Her eyes were stern and green. Laura was taken aback. This is not the tweed wearing, salt-and-pepper hair lecturer she was expecting. This person was mesmerizing and so beautiful.

“Good morning, class.”

And she’s British. Oh no. Is it appropriate to drool in class because this lecturer was having that effect on her.  _ Keep your gay ass in check, Hollis. _

Their lecturer went up to the chalkboard and grabbed a chalk with slender fingers. She wrote two words on the board.

Elle Sheridan

A few murmurs went across the room.

“My name is Elle Sheridan and you may call me Ms. Sheridan.” The tone of her voice indicated that that was the  _ only _ way she would be addressed. “I will be your assistant lecturer for this class. Your lecturer in charge, Mr. Harvey, is currently unable to attend his classes due to unforeseen circumstances. Instead, I will be covering his class for the next few weeks until Mr. Harvey have sorted out all his affairs and can resume teaching.”

More whispers were heard. Some seemed excited and some were wary. Laura wasn’t even paying attention to that. She was busy paying attention to that tendon in Ms. Sheridan’s neck move and stretch as she talked.

And that was how Laura spent the next hour of the class. If she’s not staring at Ms. Sheridan’s many beautiful features, she’s busy reprimanding herself for staring at Ms. Sheridan like a creep. 

Finally, class ended and Betty nudged Laura. “Earth to Laura? You ok there?”

“Hm? Yeah sure,” Laura said, staring at Ms. Sheridan walking out of the classroom.

Betty followed Laura’s gaze, then back to Laura. She studied Laura’s face for a bit before apprehension creeped in.

“Oh no. No, no, no Laura. No,” she said, stern.

Laura looked questioningly at Betty. “What?”

“You are so not crushing on Ms. Sheridan.”

Laura’s mouth did its best impression of a fish’s lips when it’s out of water, opening and closing noiselessly. “What, nooo,” she scoffed.

“You so totally are.”

“I am not!” 

“You were staring at her ass!”

“No I wasn’t!”

Betty rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. I bet you were staring at her the whole time, too.”

“No. I was not. I was paying full attention.”

“Okay, then tell me what we’re supposed to read for next week,” Betty challenged her.

“Uh…” Laura racked her brain, trying to remember anything. “Romeo and Juliet?”

“No, you useless gay. First chapter of Wuthering Heights.” Betty sighed. “I’m really glad we have this class together. What would you do without me?”

“Stare at Ms. Sheridan and fail the class?” Laura suggested.

“Yeah, you’re not doing that. Look, she’s  _ the _ Elle Sheridan.”

“Who?”

“Elle Sheridan? Daughter of Joseph Sheridan? Of the Sheridan family? Owner and in charge of this whole school? How do you not know this?” Betty said in disbelief.

Laura just shrugged. 

“Ok well, you should know, she’s got a reputation. They call her princess, and not in the ‘Princess Diana is our saviour’ kind of way, either.”

Laura side-eyed Betty, who launched into another one of her tirades. She told Laura about how Elle Sheridan has a reputation of breaking people’s hearts, of getting what she wants, of using her family’s money and power to manipulate. Basically your stereotypical rich girl story.

Laura refused to believe that. How can such a beautiful, elegant creature be the same cruel, bratty, rich girl that Betty was describing? But still, she should probably keep her crush in check. What are the chances a sophisticated woman like Ms. Sheridan be interested in a 19 year old girl who’s still eating cereal straight out of the box? And also there’s the whole student-teacher thing that she maybe, probably, definitely shouldn’t touch.  _ Keep it in your pants, Hollis. _

Betty and Laura then separated to go to their different class and made a promise to meet again at 7PM to go out and have dinner outside campus again. At 7, while walking from their dorm to a Chinese restaurant off campus, Laura saw a figure in black lounging in the shade of one of the trees.

“Oh look, it’s Carmilla.”

Laura turned towards Betty. “Who?”

“Seriously Laura, you need to get with the program. Follow the latest gossip,” Betty said, “That’s Carmilla Karnstein, the black sheep of the Karnstein family. 7th year senior, womanizer, general asshole.” Betty lowered her head then murmured “but very hot.”

Laura stared at Carmilla. She agreed with Betty. Carmilla really was hot in that hot mess kind of way. She had pale skin and jet black hair, slender limbs and jawlines so sharp she could probably cut avocados with it. Her top was loose on her and had ridden up to show a sliver of skin. There’s a bottle that suspiciously looked like a beer bottle and a book laid open next to her.

“Yeah, I saw her this morning. She was very mean.” Laura recalled the events of the morning to Betty. Betty just nodded at first and as soon as Laura finished her story, she said “Sounds just like what the gossip says. She parties at night and sleeps in the daytime. The only reason she’s still enrolled in this school is because the Karnsteins are also on the board of Silas. The Karnsteins and the Sheridans are tight.” Betty crossed her middle and pointer fingers to illustrate her point. “Definitely stay away from her.”

Laura couldn’t agree more.


End file.
